Device for separating crude oil from water



June 10, 1958 F. o. BA NKEs 2,838,1 78

DEVICE FOR SEPARATING CRUDE OIL FROM WATER Filed March 22, 1955INVENTOR. FEA/VK 0. /V/(ES Ma/MAM,

TT'Z/Vff United States Patenti O DEVICE FOR SEPARATING CRUDE OIL FROMWATER Frank O. Bankes, Oklahoma City, Okla. Application March 22, 1955,Serial No. 495,975

2 Claims. (Cl. 21o-170) This invention relates to the separation of thecrude oil from the water in an emulsion thereof such as flows from awell, during the extraction -of oil therefrom.

Crude oil flowing from oil wells is often mixed with water. This watermust be separated from the oil before the oil is transported from thesite of the well. Various chemical :agents may be added to the crude oilto speed up and make more complete the separation of the water from theoil in separation tanks into which the crude oil is delivered for theseparation. These chemicals must be thoroughly mixed with the crude oilin order to have maximum effect. Itis desirable therefore that anagitating device be provided through which the mixture of crude oil andchemicals can pass on its way to the separation tank which will agitatethe mixture thoroughly thus effecting a very thorough mixture of thechemical with the crude oil.

The primary object of this invention is to break the lm of emulsifyingagent surrounding each minute globule of water so as to free it andenable it to coalesce with like Water globules until a water globule ordroplet has formed of :a size sullicient to cause its completeseparation from the oil and consequent precipitation therein.

Another object is to create turbulence ina flowing stream of oil andwater emulsion and to cause the water globules to impinge againstbarriers with sulicient force to break their surrounding llrns.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this inventionwhich embodies among its features an elongated tubular flow chamber,longitudinally spaced ballles carried by and extending transverselyacross the interior of the chamber, said bullies having non-registeringow passages extending therethrough and helical deilectors carried by thellow chamber .and extending between the bailles.

Other features include an elongated tubular flow chamber, supportingdisks carried by the flow chamber and extending transversely thereacrossadjacent ends thereof, said disks having flow passages extendingtherethrough, a support rod carried `by the disks and extendinglongitudinally therebetween in alignment with the axis of the chamber,baflles carried by the support rod and extending outwardly therefromwithin the flow chamber, and a helical dellector carried by the rod andextending outwardly therefrom and into contact with the wall of the flowchamber to cause liquid entering said llow chamber to move therethroughin a helical path.

Still other features include longitudinally spaced imperforate bafflescarried by the rod and extending outwardly therefrom with theirperipheries in concentric spaced relation to the wall of the chamber.

In the drawings: l

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevational View of a pipe line with thedevice positioned therein.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the device with a portion broken awayto show the interior of the housing.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2.

2,838,178 Patented June 10, 19.58v

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Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2. FigureFigure 2. Figure Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing in detail, a well W has extending thereinto aflow pipe P through which the crude oil 4and water emulsion is extractedfrom the well W in any conventional manner. In order to break theemulsion `and to promote the precipitation of the water from the oil, aseparator designated 10 embodying the features of this invention isconnected into the llow pipe P intermediate the ends thereof.

The separator 10 comprises an elongated tubular body 5 is a sectionalview taken on line 5--5 of 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of 12defining a ilow chamber and carried by the opposite ends of said body 12:are hollow dome shaped extensions 14 :and 16 carrying couplings 18 and20 to which adjacent ends of the ow pipe P are connected. It is to benoted that the capacity of the tubular body 12 is substan tially twicethe capacity of the pipe P.

Carried by the .tubular body 12 adjacent the dome shaped extensions 14and 16 respectively are supporting disks 22 and 24. The disk 22 .isperforated as at 26 to establish communication between the dome shapedextension of the body 12, and the disk 24 is perforated as at 28 toestablish communication between the Iinterior of the body 12 and thedome shaped extension 16.

A rod 30 is welded or otherwise secured to the disks 22 and 24 andextends therebetween axially of the body 12. Longitudinally spacedbaille disks 32 and 34 are carried by the rod 30 and extend laterallyoutwardly therefrom with their peripheries in concentric spaced relationto the tubular body 12 to dei-ine annular passages through which passesthe liquid as it leaves the Well.

A transversely extending annular partition 36 is carried by the rod 30substantially midway between the disks 22 and 24 and like the disks 22and 24 is provided with concentrically spaced arcuate perforations 38. Ahelical flange 4i) is carried by the rod 30 and extends between thedisks 22 and 24 and the baflles 32 and 34 and partition 36. The outeredge of the helical flange engages the inner periphery of the tubularbody to deline therewith a helical passage through which passes the oilon the way to the surface. v

In use with the separator 10 connected into the well pipe P asillustrated in Figure l, oil or an emulsion of oil and water will bedirected in a helical path through the tubular body 12 and willencounter the baifies 32 and 34 and the partition 36. The impact of theglobules of water against the batlles and partition coupled with theagitation caused by the swirling of the liquid as it moves upwardlythrough the separator will cause the lms encompassing the water globulesto be ruptured so as to free the water globules an-d permit them to.coalesce into droplets which will precipitate out of the oil andfacilitate separation of the water from the oil. The separator islocated below what is commonly referre-d to as the paraline line and maybe employed either with or without the use of chemical compounds whichpromote the precipitation of the water.

The details shown in the drawing illustrate one form of the invention,there being obvious modifications that may be made in the arrangementand detail forms of the several parts without departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention, as defined in the .appended claims.

What is claims is:

l. A separator comprising an elongated tubular body dening a ow chamber,perforated supporting disks carried by the body and extending acrossopposite ends thereof, a supporting disk carried by the body midway theopposite ends, a rod carried by the disks and extending 3 longitudinallytherebetween along the axis of the body, longitudinally spaced bafflescarried by the rod .and extending outwardly therefrom -between thesupporting disks, the peripheries of said baies lying in concentricferential openings in said disks at opposite ends of the body, asupporting disk having a plurality of concentric circumferentialopenings carried by the body midway the opposite ends, a rod carried bythe disks and extending ,longitudinally therebetween `along the axis ofthe body, 15 2,624,462

.4, longitudinally spaced baies carried by the rod and extendingoutwardly therefrom between the supporting disks, the peripheries ofsaid baies lying in concentric, spaced relation to the tubular body, anda continuous helical liange carried by the rod and extending between thesupporting disks with its outer edge in contact with the tubular body.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,626,487 Warren Apr. 26, 1927 2,000,953 Hooker etal May 14, 19352,382,490 Lawlor Aug. 14, 1945 Williams Jan. 6, 1953

1. A SEPARATOR COMPRISING AN ELONGATED TUBULAR BODY DEFINING A FLOWCHAMBER, PERFORMED SUPPORTING DISKS CARRIED BY THE BODY AND EXTENDINGACROSS OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF, A SUPPORTING DISK CARRIED BY THE BODYMIDWAY THE OPPOSITE ENDS, A ROD CARRIED BY THE DISKS AND EXTENDINGLONGITUDINALLY THEREBETWEEN ALONG THE AXIS OF THE BODY, LONGITUDINALLYSPACED BAFFLES CARRIED BY THE ROD AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROMBETWEEN THE SUPPORTINGG DISKS, THE PERIPHERIES OF SAID BAFFLES LYING INCONCENTRIC SPACED RELATION TO THE TUBULAR BODY, AND A HELICAL FLANGECARRIED BY THE ROD AND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE SUPPORTING DISKS WITH ITSOUTER EDGE IN CONTACT WITH THE TUBULAR BODY.